The Skeleton Soldier approached with a threatening momentum.
'What kind of situation is this?'
I granted his request, and instead he was ready to attack me?
Should I fight?
I hesitated for a moment, but his size was no joke. Since he had layered extra bones onto himself, hitting him a few times wouldn't be enough.
"Wait."
I spoke up. Because fighting wasn't the only choice.
"Did you feel like committing suicide?"
He said something absurd as if it were only natural.
I had thought he was a little different, but was this Skeleton Soldier unable to think too?
"No, I'm not committing suicide."
"Then what!? Are you planning to bully me like the other bastards too!?"
THUD— THUD—
The bastard approached. If conversation didn't work, I might have to fight.
I prepared to raise my mace at any moment.
'Hmm...?'
As soon as my hand touched the mace, letters appeared.
['The Skeleton Soldier Who Wants to Be Left Alone']
[You granted the Skeleton Soldier's request, but he wants you to disappear as well. Eliminate the Skeleton Soldier, or meet your death as promised.]
[Eliminate Skeleton Soldier – Acquire 100G (However, cannot be acquired if defeated)]
[Suicide – Acquire 50G + 1 item at start]
Was it telling me to choose? An explanation regarding the rewards had appeared.
'Does dying count as keeping the promise?'
Certainly, if I disappeared, it would count as keeping the promise. However, I had no desire to do that.
'There's no guarantee that what I get next time will be good, either.'
It was uncertain what item I would obtain upon restarting. The flow of this challenge had been better than ever before.
I wanted to keep this flow going if possible. Yet even so, I didn't want to fight the Skeleton Soldier either.
'Because one wrong move and I'll die....'
If I chose battle and lost, I would gain nothing at all.
"Why aren't you saying anything!?"
The Skeleton Soldier barked at me.
Though I didn't know why I had to be treated like this.
I didn't have much time to ponder.
'Let's think.'
Even so, I had to think. Because if I stopped thinking, I would be no different from other Skeleton Soldiers.
[00:30]
Numbers appeared.
"Are you looking down on me!?"
The bastard's voice grew louder.
The numbers decreased.
Was this the countdown until this Skeleton Soldier's patience ran out?
[00:24]
"Aren't you going to answer!?"
He was noisy.
Was there no way to obtain the reward without getting hurt?
'What the bastard wants is....'
To be left alone.
I had to disappear.
In that case?
"I've grown stronger! I could beat you to a pulp with these fists!"
He thrust his fist in my face. However, he didn't swing it yet.
[00:14]
The time was decreasing rapidly. For now, let's at least give it a try.
"Fine, I'll disappear for you."
"Then...."
Laughing, the Skeleton Soldier pulled his fist back. So suicide here really just meant not resisting.
"Wait, I'm not done talking."
When I raised my hand, the Skeleton Soldier flinched and stopped in place.
"Are you planning to fight me!?"
"No. I don't intend to do that."
At my answer, the Skeleton Soldier looked confused.
Clack, clack—
Clacking his jaw, he looked at me.
"I plan to go up to the upper floor."
"What?"
"Once I disappear up the stairs, you'll be alone. Just as promised."
"That's...!"
The Skeleton Soldier shook his head. Was it because I wasn't acting according to these letters?
'The letters that pop up before my eyes are convenient, but they limit my thoughts.'
The word Beanpole had spoken: the System.
Judging by the situation so far, these letters were definitely part of the System too.
Because like a god, they gave me commands and told me things I didn't know.
'Beanpole said we had to follow the System.'
However, I was different.
Because I knew how to think.
No matter how much of a god the System was, it couldn't control my thoughts too.
'It can't infringe upon my freedom.'
Whether I made decisions following the System or rejected the System, that was for me to think through and decide.
I had no intention of following it blindly like other Skeleton Soldiers.
"What's the problem?"
"Uh...."
The bastard didn't answer easily. However, there wasn't a single flaw in my words.
"I'll make it so you're alone, just like you wanted. So what's the problem?"
"Th... That's... The problem is...."
He stammered.
Was it because it was his first time actually thinking?
I waited briefly. Soon, the Skeleton Soldier moved.
"You're right. If you go up the stairs, I'll give it to you."
That did it.
My thoughts hadn't been wrong after all.
Together with the Skeleton Soldier, I headed toward the stairs. Since I had already cleared out all the rooms, moving around wasn't difficult.
"Here, this is the place."
Turning my head, I pointed to the stairs. Frankly, I had my doubts about whether this bastard even knew what stairs were, so I made sure to show him clearly.
"Once I go up here, you'll be alone. Right?"
"Right."
"Then I'm going to go up the stairs now. So keep your promise."
Standing in front of the stairs, I spoke.
The Skeleton Soldier scratched the crown of his skull. Then he soon opened his mouth and stuck his hand right inside his skull.
'Did he put the item in there?'
The Skeleton Soldier's hand opened.
It was a scroll.
"This is...."
Could it be a Scroll of Charm?
With high hopes, I grabbed the scroll.
['Scroll of Teleportation']
[Magic]
[Teleports to a random room on the current floor when used. (1 Use)]
[Not knowing the destination makes it all the more thrilling.]
'Teleportation, huh....'
Didn't that mean there was no telling where I would be moved to?
For now, I took it with me.
I stepped onto the stairs. Glancing back, I saw that the Skeleton Soldier had already disappeared.
Was he enjoying the solitude he had wished for, or was it different from what he had thought?
'Who knows.'
And I didn't want to know, either.
Because my only interest was escaping the tower.
Now it was the fourth floor.
Before entering the fourth floor, I examined my Status.
[Name - 'One Hundred']
[Race – Undead]
[Class – Skeleton Soldier]
[Lv8 (3%)]
[Skills Held – Play Dead (Lv1) / Blunt Weaponry (Lv2) / Swordsmanship (Lv2)]
[Trait - 'Locksmith']
'Skill levels don't go up easily....'
[Death Count: 19]
Nineteen deaths.
Since I had no one to compare myself to, there was no way to know whether this was fast or slow.
'Then again... what good would comparing do?'
Would dying fewer times than other Challengers be something to rejoice over? The fact that I was trapped in the tower remained unchanged anyway.
'All I can do is move forward.'
I pushed the door open.
I saw both a good thing and a bad thing.
Slimes squelching across the floor, Skeleton Warriors, and Skeleton Archers. The good thing was that there were no new monsters.
What was the bad thing? The numbers.
Right from the first room, the bastards were swarming everywhere.
At a rough glance, there looked to be well over ten bastards.
"Intruder!"
The bastards charged toward me all at once.
I gripped my mace and sword. Behind me, the way was blocked by the invisible wall.
'Damn it....'
Because the Slimes were slow, they didn't matter right now. The bastards I had to deal with first were the three Skeleton Warriors.
Raising their shields in front of them, they charged in.
For starters, a head-on clash had no chance of winning. I twisted my body to the side.
THWIP— THWIP—
Arrows grazed past me. Turning my head, I saw one more arrowhead flying toward me.
Without realizing it, I rolled across the floor.
Rattle—
My bones struck the floor and made a sound. As if matching the warriors, there were three Skeleton Archers as well.
"Death to the intruder!"
Two Skeleton Warriors. They attacked me while I was down on the floor.
For now, it seemed best to deal with the weaker bastards first.
Rising right up, I swung my mace and sword in a crosswise slash.
CRACK—
I smashed a Skeleton Warrior. I turned to the side of the clattering pile of falling bones.
THUD—
A shield shoved against my shoulder. My field of vision tilted sideways.
An arrow flew right over my skull.
'The situation isn't good.'
Reflexively, I swung my mace, but it was blocked by a shield. The other Skeleton Warriors surrounded me.
"Smash him to pieces!"
A shield rose above a warrior's shoulder. It must have intended to crush my skull.
CLANG—
Striking my helmet, a metallic ring echoed out. My skull shook, making my vision tremble.
'This is dangerous....'
The helmet was worth its steep price, but it didn't block the shock transmitted to the inside.
Had my skull cracked?
I swung my weapon toward its leg bone. For now, while knocked down on the floor, that was the only action I could take.
A purple Slime approached the tips of my feet.
Its mucus engulfed the tips of my toe bones.
SIZZLE—
It wasn't a pleasant sound to hear. Thrashing my leg, I pulled my toes out, but there was nowhere around me to run.
'To think I'd have to use it already....'
I pulled out the Scroll of Teleportation.
[Tear the scroll to use it.]
For a moment, I hesitated.
CLANG—!
Soon, I heard a sound that hastened my decision.
Let's not be stingy with it. It was an item I would lose if I died anyway.
RIP—
The scroll tore apart all too easily. At the same time, light washed over me.
'This place is....'
It was a different room.
Literally, teleportation had taken place.
'This doesn't look good.'
I hurriedly raised my body. I saw my corroded toe bones.
The bones were slowly recovering. It had to be the effect of Heartbeat.
The problem was the fact that I didn't have much time left to recover.
Standing in the center was a stone statue—a tower shaped like cogwheels.
'An event....'
Whatever event it was, the timing wasn't good. I turned my head.
However, the doors were already closed.
Creak— Creeeak—
The cogwheels making up the small tower turned and made a sound.
['There Are No Enemies.']
[Survive.]
[There are no enemies. However, threats always exist. Survive for the designated time and acquire a reward.]
[03:00]
Letters and numbers appeared.
'There are no enemies?'
CLACK— CLACK— CLACK— CLACK—
The floor tiles began to flip over. At the same time, dense holes were exposed.
No, it wasn't just the floor. The walls were the same.
FWOOSH— FWOOOOSH—
Flames soared up. Matching a steady rhythm, the floor and walls flipped over and spewed fire.
As if alive, the flames approached me.
If I stood there blankly, I would become thoroughly roasted bones. I hurriedly moved my body.
CLATTER—
A section of the floor dropped away, exposing an abyss beneath it.
'It's not the lower floor...?'
Thankfully, since I had only just placed my foot forward, I didn't fall in.
FWOOOOSH—
The flames drew closer and closer. For now, I had to jump across.
[02:42]
Forget one minute, not even thirty seconds had passed yet. Was this situation going to keep repeating?
Turning quickly, I dodged the traps.
THWIP—
Fire wasn't the only thing here. Small needles flew out and lodged into my bones.
Perhaps coated with poison, letters appeared and disappeared. I was glad to be Undead.
However, no matter how small the needles were, if I took too many hits, the damage would accumulate.
'It's a room where I have to keep moving nonstop....'
I kept running in a clockwise circle.
Flames chased me from behind, and there was no telling when the floor would drop out from under me. Intermittently, poison needles flew in.
What else could there be?
I found out soon enough.
KABOOM—
An explosion.
For a brief moment, I was able to feel what it was like to fly through the sky.
The problem was that my shinbones had gone flying in the opposite direction.
'This run is over.'
I thought to myself as I watched the approaching flames.
FWOOOOSH—
The flames swallowed me.
***
I examined my Status.
[Name - 'One Hundred']
[Race – Undead]
[Class – Skeleton Soldier]
[Lv6 (15%)]
[Skills Held – Play Dead (Lv1) / Blunt Weaponry (Lv2) / Swordsmanship (Lv2)]
[Trait - 'Undead Hatred']
Now, the repetition was familiar.
Rising in the white space, selecting a weapon, and stepping into the magic circle to become a Challenger.
I had made it through the first and second floors smoothly. It seemed Undead Hatred really was a good Trait.
Since I had fortunately run into the Scream of the Dead event on the first floor, I had raised my level quickly too.
For some reason, I had a good feeling about this run.
The shield I had obtained from opening a chest on the second floor wasn't bad, either. I looked at the mace held in one hand and the square shield held in the other.
[Copper Square Shield – Left Hand]
[A square shield made of copper. If it bends, try hammering it from the opposite side to fix it.]
I had fewer pieces of equipment than last time, but the battles were easy.
I climbed the stairs leading to the third floor.
'Could that Skeleton Soldier be here again?'
Before opening the door, I briefly recalled that Skeleton Soldier. I carefully opened the door.
CREAK—
I waited for a reaction.
It was quiet.
It seemed it would be hard to see that Skeleton Soldier again.
I took a step inside.
What caught my eye was a prison.
'It's a real prison cell.'
Of course, the place where I had first awakened was a prison too. The first floor and the second floor were prisons as well.
The third floor was no different.
Shackles and torches were attached to the walls.
However, it was my first time seeing iron bars set up inside a room to form a cell.
"Wh-Who goes there!?"
What was more, it wasn't a skeleton.
It was a person.
Perhaps noticing me, a man wearing ragged clothes looked back.
Clack, clack—
I clacked my teeth together.
"A s-skeleton!?"
The man stared at me with wide eyes.
I knew it would be like this.
Because I had never seen a human who welcomed a Skeleton Soldier.